Using FlowLab, An Educational Computational Fluid Dynamics Tool, To Perform A Comparative Study Of Turbulence Models

Flow over an Ahmed body is a key benchmark case for validating the complex turbulent flow field around vehicles. In spite of the simple geometry, the flow field around an Ahmed body retains critical features of real, external vehicular flow. The present study is an attempt to implement such a real life example into the course curriculum for undergraduate engineers. FlowLab, which is a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) tool developed by Fluent Inc. for use in engineering education, allows students to conduct interactive application studies. This paper presents a synopsis of FlowLab, a description of one FlowLab exercise, and an overview of the educational experience gained by students through using FlowLab, which is understood through student surveys and examinations. FlowLab-based CFD exercises were implemented into 57:020 Mechanics of Fluids and Transport Processes and 58:160 Intermediate Mechanics of Fluids courses at the University of Iowa in the fall of 2004, although this report focuses only on experiences with the Ahmed body exercise, which was used only in the intermediate-level fluids class, 58:160. This exercise was developed under National Science Foundation funding by the authors of this paper. The focus of this study does not include validating the various turbulence models used for the Ahmed body simulation, because a two-dimensional simplification was applied. With the two-dimensional simplification, students may setup, run, and postprocess this model in a 50 minute class period using a single-CPU PC, as required for the 58:160 class at the University of Iowa. It is educational for students to understand the implication of a two-dimensional approximation for essentially a three-dimensional flow field, along with the consequent variation in both qualitative and quantitative results. Additionally, through this exercise, students may realize that the choice of the respective turbulence model will affect simulation prediction.